Will “Fantastic Beasts” Live up to the Hype?

Nowadays Harry Potter is a household name. Even after the books about the boy wizard ended and after the movies wrapped up, the series is continuing with its new installment, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In December 2015 filmmakers released the first trailer. Since then viewers have watched the trailer over 11,700,00 times. Fans have had to endure almost a year of anticipation, but on November 16th, the wait will be over.

Fantastic Beasts is not a continuation of the Harry Potter storyline, instead taking viewers back to 1927 and focuses on a brand new character, Newt Scamander. The story returns to its roots with Newt, emphasizing on the underdog theme that the stories all focus on. Newt was expelled after endangering students at Hogwarts. While in America, his mysterious case full of magical creatures opens and its contents are let loose on the muggle world.

Despite the hype, devoted fans were skeptical at first. Fantastic Beasts could be viewed as the directors trying to milk out what was left of the Harry Potter franchise. Readers were comforted, however, by the fact that J.K. Rowling wrote the screenplay for the movie. The fact that director David Yates could draw Rowling into her screenwriting debut is a promising sentiment for long-time fans, who can rest easy knowing that the creator of Harry Potter was on board with the series extension.

The inspiration for Fantastic Beasts came straight from the original series. Throughout his stay at Hogwarts, Harry studies a textbook with the same name, written by Newt Scamander. Rowling published a short version of the textbook (annotated by Harry, Ron, and Hermione) along with Quidditch Through the Ages. 80% of the profit went to the charity Comic Relief to help poor children around the world. While writing Harry Potter, Rowling became very familiar with Newt Scamander and his story.

Harry Potter fans obviously anticipate Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Will it live up to the hype?

Riley Kankelberg is currently in her second year of Journalism. She enjoys both narrative and journalistic writing and is interested in being a novelist in the future. A lover of science fiction and fantasy, Kankelberg’s favorite books include The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Her favorite shows are Stranger Things, Agents of Shield, and The Flash. Riley also enjoys nerding out with her friends about Marvel.